The Key to my Humanity.

The Key (Part 3)

Josie Saltzman, of course it had to be her. The brunette that has continued for years to leave a imprint in Hope Mikealsons mind like no else has. Her key was the one she felt drawn to and for what reason she had no idea as she stares at it feeling nervous....actually feeling something because of the effect her family has on her but the Job was not yet finished. "It's just a key and just some stupid memories that mean nothing because I don't feel anything, that's the way I want it to be"

Hope had been trying to tell herself such things for a while whenever she thought about the people close to her or the scenarios that had played out in her life because of them all and because of her own actions. Her hand was shaking as she tried putting the key into the lock and she hated the way it made her feel weak. Josie wasn't even here and the memories hadn't even started but she was already a mess. The Tribrid took a deep breath and tried blocking out all the thoughts in her head.

The door eventually started to unlock with the familiar bright light infront of her as she steps inside not knowing what memory would first appear. Hope has came through the otherside with her nerves staying somewhat stable. In the background she could hear birds singing away and the trees moving thanks to the wind. The location looked familiar and recognised as one of the first times she spent time alone with Josie without Lizzie knowing of it. Hope could see herself and Josie sitting on the grass with picnic blanket set out as they were picking off dandelions from the ground.

Hope must have been no older than eight in this memory and it was one that she started to see Josie as more than just Lizzies sister. They didn't talk too much but they understood each other and at the time that's all that mattered to them. The wind was quite strong that day with the leaves falling off the trees and going into Hope's hair more than it did Josie's which the brunette did not fail to notice. She had watched as Josie moved her hand to the side of Hope's face and slowly removed one of the few leaves that were stationed there. Her younger self was about to stop the brunette but in the end didn't as they both shared a little smile towards each other.

"You know I don't get why people see you the way they do Hope, your so kind when you want to be and your not the person everyone makes you out to to be just because your Klaus's daughter." Josie at the time didn't know what sort of reaction she was going to get from Hope but she eventually watched the girl infront of her process everything that had been said to her. "I think it's best I go. I wouldn't want your sister getting the wrong idea that I was trying to steal you away or that you were betraying her" Hope had gotten up after she had said that and walked away before giving the younger girl and chance at all of saying anything.

Watching it back was going just how Hope had expected it would go as she tried keeping it together but at that moment watching it all back, she wished she let Josie into her life sooner than she had done instead of shutting her out. The memory that had followed was one of the most important ones in her time with Josie and one that she never expected. Lizzie, Josie and herself were all standing in one room together as they had just came back from a road trip. Tensions were high, especially between herself and Lizzie as they argued about the fire that happened inside Hopes room a while back.

Hope's eyes never left Josie's as she watched how the brunette was nervously watching both her friend and Lizzie argue for something that was her fault.  Of course it was the confession as Josie spoke up. "I was the one who started a fire" The brunette went on to explain what exactly happened with the fire and how she revealed that she had slipped a love note under Hopes door but burned it because she thought it was a mistake. She had remembered asking Josie for reassurance that what she heard from the girl was actually true. "You had a crush on me?" Hope in the moment wasn't bothered by the fire, she wasn't bothered by the conflict that happened between her and Lizzie because of it all. The only thing she cared about was the meaning behind it all as she looks at Josie in  a way that she has never looked at anyone else. "Of course I did, who wouldn't?" Them five words from Josie felt like it had changed everything for Hope but in the grand scheme of it all, it didn't change anything, atleast not in the way they may have both wanted. In the moment of Hope watching this memory, she could feel chest tightening and two tears fall from both eyes that were watering up.

Watching that memory swiftly disappear and the bright lights were shining her into the next one. Hope saw herself inside Josie's subconscious as a little red riding costume happened to be what she wearing in this fantasy that the brunette had built up for herself. The Tribrid follows herself towards where the pig had came across her. This caused her to laugh softly which was something she hasn't done since before her humanity turned off. Hope remembered seeing how Josie was the pig and then ended up at a unconscious human form of Josie who was laying in a sleeping beauty costume.

In the eyes of Hope, the girl looked so beautiful laying there and it wasn't the first time she had thought of this Josie. "Maybe you should try kiss her" The idea at the time seemed so tempting and even more so now but that's not how she wanted their first to go. That's when something snapped in her mind, almost like a trigger. "Did I want to kiss her, have I always wanted to kiss her? Fuck why am I feeling now.....this can't be happening" Hope was feeling again and this time it was more than just anger, pain and grief. This time it was happiness, knowing what it was like to care for someone other than herself and most importantly love which of course was the real kicker.

Hope was on her knees crying and feeling a little relief aswell because the torture was over, there was no more shutting everyone and everything away. Yes there was the guilt after she had done everything she has done and she'll have to deal with the consequences of all of that when she's out but there was still one more moment of her life relating to Josie that was of significant importance. Hope watched as the tears continued to fall when she saw herself talking to her mum in her subconscious as at this point she was on the verge of dying. They were crying together and she had remembered asking if she would ever see Hayley again. Of course she knew the answer to that but was asked to paint, use her voice, go on adventures and experience atleast one epic love.

The memory was short lived as everything went Dark and Hope found herself waking up in the hotel room where Lizzie had noticed the development. The blonde couldn't help but stay back incase she thought Hope was going to kill her but the following outcome ended up shocking her after hearing what the Auburn haired girl had to say.. "I'm in love with Josie Saltzman".